To:INESSA ARMAND

Written:Written in July, prior to 6th, 1914Published:First published in part in 1959 inVoprosy Istorii KPSSNo. 5.

      Published in full in 1964 inCollected Works, Fifth (Russian) Ed., Vol. 48.

      Sent from Poronin to Lovran.

      Printed from the original.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,[1977],

      Moscow,Volume 43,

      pages409-410a.Translated:Martin Parker and Bernard IsaacsTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive

      (2005).You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

DearFriend,[1]

Iam terribly afraid that you will refuse to go to Brussels, and thus
place us in anabsolutely impossibleposition. And so I have
thought up another “compromise”, which you will simply be unable to
refuse.

Nadyabelieves your elder children have arrived already, and you could
easily leave them for 3 days (or take Andrei with you).

Inthe event of the elder children not having arrived and it beingabsolutelyimpossible for you to leave the children for 3 days, I
suggest that you gofor one day(the 16th, evenfor half a
day, to read the report), either leaving the children for the day, or
even sending for K—vich for that day at an extremity. (We shall pay the
expenses.)

Yousee, it’sextremelyimportant that the main report, at
least, should be readreallyeffectively. And for that
purposeexcellentFrench is definitely needed, otherwise the
effect will benil—French, because otherwise nine-tenths will belostin translation for the very Executive Committeefor whom
the effect is primarily intended(the Germans arehopeless,
and theymaynot be there).

Besidesexcellent French, of course, anunderstanding of
essentialsand proper tact are needed. You are theonly suitable
person. So please—I beg you most earnestly—consent, if only for
one day (you will read the report and apologise, pleading illness in the
family, and go away, handing things over to Popov). If you have already
refused by letter, wire (Uljanow. Poronin—10 words cost 60 heller):
“agree one day”, “agree 16 only”, etc.

Allthe very best. Always sincerely yours,V. I.

Weshall write the C.C.’s
			       report.[2]Your job will be totranslate it and read itwith commentaries, which we shall agree
on.

P.S.The new chairman is not here but must come very
			      soon.[3]

Kamsky,Popov, you. Safarov only as secretary—that’s how I plan the
delegation.

Ihope you will not now decline my demand. A good “lecture” in
French, in good French will help our party
			   extremely.[4]

Iam worried very much about Brussels.Only youcould carry it
off wonderfully. Grigory will hardly be able to go—Zina is still in
hospital (a bad “phlegmon”) and his nerves have gone to pieces.I am
no good here. Besides, Grigory speaks only German (and a poor German
at that), and for us not to have a French speaker is tantamount to losing
nine-tenths!!

[1]Thesewords are in English in the original.—Ed.

[2]SeeV. I. Lenin, “Report of the C.C. of the R.S.D.L.P. to the Brussels
Conference and Instructions to the C.C. Delegation” (present edition,
Vol. 20, pp. 495–535).—Ed.

[3]["*"DUPLICATE1 OF 2.]The italicised words marked with an asterisk are in English in the
original.—Ed.

[4]["*"DUPLICATE2 OF 2.]* The italicised words marked with an asterisk are in English in the
original.—Ed.